Books

After a traumatic event, witty Los Angeles writer Ramona 'Ro' Wilder struggles with crippling feelings of vulnerability. When the global pandemic exacerbates her fears, she limits her social interaction to the view from her window in her bohemian neighborhood of Laurel Canyon.

Ro's search for serenity is disrupted only by her annoying neighbor, Fred, who constantly tests her patience. Unexpectedly, the two scrappy and hilarious neighbors become accidental friends during the prolonged days of the pandemic. Ro eventually learns that Fred has a terminal illness, and his last wish is for Ro to end her seclusion to meet his mysterious friend in Marrakesh to dispose of his ashes.

The story's colorful supporting characters flesh out this fictionalized account of many true events in the author's life. The humorous yet poignant work takes the reader on an adventure from the Hollywood Hills to the Casbahs of Marrakesh and Casablanca as Ramona seeks to find Fred's elusive friend, Ali.  In the process, Ro confronts her fears with raw honesty and in doing so, rediscovers her sense of self. The protagonist's journey is not only entertaining but highly rewarding.

1950. When New York authorities try to remove Rainy from her home, she and Gramps seek refuge with a traveling carnival. They must adapt to an unconventional, nomadic lifestyle filled with carnies whose physical anomalies have defined them as "freaks."

While traveling with the show, Rainy, Gramps, and the carnies suffer through a widespread Polio Epidemic and must fight to survive the ravages of Delaware's terrifying Hurricane Able of 1952. After a shocking turn of events, Rainy longs to return to a normal life. But what does "normal" really mean?

Gwen Banta's BEYOND THE HOLE IN THE FENCE is an edge-of-your-seat adventure filled with colorful, larger-than-life characters. Through humor and heartbreak, Rainy learns she can never recapture her past. She finds love and comes of age in an eccentric environment under remarkable circumstances.

Fledging singer Thelonious 'Theo' Aubrey and his best friend Bo, an African-American trumpet player, struggle to succeed in the exhilarating music scene of the French Quarter as America slowly recovers from World War II.

Desperate for money, they join forces with Callie, a seductive young dancer, and Gritty, an enigmatic outsider. From the colorful streets of New Orleans to the legendary jazz clubs of Harlem, the young artists meet some of the most prominent musicians of their day.

When the fallout from their checkered pasts catches up with them, a surprising turn of events leads the lovable, eccentric characters to their unexpected destinies.

Gwen Banta's THE UNCONVENTIONAL PATH OF THELONIOUS AUBREY is a historical fiction masterpiece full of humor, love, and heartbreak, set in history's most exciting era of jazz and blues.

Based on the whimsical advice of Aunt Beaners' Ouija board, the unconventional Jackson family abruptly uproots and moves west in 1960 to Scope Ranch in Keetley, Utah, near the mountain town of Park City. Unaware that Keetley is doomed to destruction, Simmy Jackson and her kid brother, Lefty, adapt to their new rustic life.

As the siblings grow to adulthood and start families of their own, they learn the fascinating history of each of their colorful relatives, such as eccentric (and arguably criminal) Aunt Beaners, affable Uncle Arty, and the inimitable ranch hand, Charlie Spratt, who becomes the patriarch of the family. Although their adventures are equally hilarious and heartbreaking, Simmy and Lefty must reconcile love with forgiveness when they discover the shocking truth and betrayal behind their journey to Utah.

Full of laughter and pathos, Gwen Banta's "Enduv Road" is a generational saga that takes the reader on a journey from Endicott, New York during World War II to rural Utah where three neighboring towns were swallowed by the Jordanelle Reservoir in 1995. The chronicle of the Jackson family is one of unforgettable characters and compelling events - a story as rich in history as its Utah setting.

In 1958, 19-year-old Kat Caswell loses her best friend in a brutal accident. In an attempt to flee from her past, she hops a freight train, leaving rural Indiana behind. Kat soon discovers that the extreme danger of train jumping is a welcome distraction from her pain.

While aboard the grand Southern Belle Railway, she meets Hilda, an eccentric, larger-than-life woman who offers her employment at a gentlemen's club in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Kat quickly adapts to the exotic atmosphere of the Vieux Carre. During her stay in New Orleans, Kat forms a close bond with a charming young immigrant worker named Leni, who has a mischievous personality and a mysterious past.

Each girl thrives in the lively environment full of colorful patrons. But when immigration comes to take Leni into custody, their lives become inextricably linked as Kat attempts to protect her friend. Once again, the railway becomes an escape route leading them on a journey of survival that requires life-changing choices.

Gwen Banta's 'The Train Jumper' is "edge of your seat" with thrilling moments - a grand adventure full of laughter and pathos. The lives of the characters are woven together by railroads and the exotic places the rails connect, eventually leading Kat and Leni to their individual destinies.

Tim Mulrooney is at a crossroads in his life when he meets Lauren: the beautiful wife of a prominent Long Beach physician who has been brutally murdered.

In spite of mounting evidence against Lauren, Tim is determined to prove her innocence. Soon, more savage murders occur in the exclusive Long Beach enclave of Belmont Shore.

Trying to piece together the evidence, Mulrooney makes a startling discovery about the murders. But is he willing to risk his shield - and his life - to solve the case?